Concrete building construction



Jan. 17, 1928. 1,656,197

A. HENDERSON CONCRETE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 20, 1923 INVENTOR Patented Jan. 17,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Amn mmmm; or magnum, P NS LVANI .ASSIGNOR, BY time AS- SIGNMENTS, TO THE nnnnnnson srnucruner Unrrs COMPANY, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A oonronATIoN or DELAWARE.

CONCRETE nuinnmd cons'rnuc'rron.

Application filed am 20,1028. serial no. 669,695;

The present invention relates broadly to concrete building construction, and more particular-13 to the const-ructionof concrete floors, girders and columns. w a

An object of the invention is to provide a novel floor constructionconsistingof preformed concrete blocks. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a girder and fioor construction in which preformed concrete blocks are utilized both for the construction of the girder'and of the floor.

Still another object'of the invention isto provide a system of constructing columns, girders and floors from preformed concrete blocks. i

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown, for purposes of illustration only, one embodiment of my invention, it being under-- stood that the drawingsdo not define; the limits of the invention, as changes may be made in the construction therein disclosed without departing from-the spirit of the invention or scope of my broaderclaims;

In thedra wm'gs:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, showing a columnf-a girder and a floor constructed irom preformed concrete blocks;

Figure 2 is a c method oftyingthefloor to the girder Figure 3 is a plan view corresponding to Figure2; and c Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating a preferred type of preformed concrete block used inthe construction. 1 1

In Figure 4 there is illustrated a blocklof the general type disclosed in mypriorPa'tent No.'1,446,796 of February 27, 1923. This block is preferably formed of rectangular shape and of'such dimensions that the block will have a weightwhich can be conveniently handled by a workman. A block in the form of a twelve inch, cube is a convenient size and will have aweight of approximately 125 1 pounds, more or less. The block 2 shown in Figure 4 is formed with a plurality of passages. 3 extending longitudinally therethrough for receiving reinforcing tie rods and is providedin itsend faceswith grooves 4 spaced fromjthe sides of the block so as to leave a marginal seating face 5 at each end of the block. Other cross grooves 6 may be provided in the and faces of the block.

united into a monolithic structure.

detairview illustrating the The groove 4: and the cross grooves 6 in each "end; face leave projecting lugs 7 which will preferably have their outer surfaces flush with the marginal seating face 5. The longitudinally extending passages 3 open at their ends inv the marginal grooves 4 and leave the block with a solid central core.

lnconstructing a floor, a plurality of these blocks may be arrangedend to end in series and tied together by reinforcing tie rods 8 extending through the aligned passages 3 and embedded in grouting. The grouting may bepoured into the passages after the rods have been inserted through chipped out openings 19 formed in the meeting marginal faces 5 of certain of the blocks, such openings intersecting the grooves 4." The grouting not only fills the longitudinal passages 3,

but also flows into and fills thegrooves 4 5 and 6; When this grouting has set and hardened, the series of blocks will have become A series of blocks so united constitutes a floor member 10. A plurality of such monolithic membersmaybe formed onthe ground and thenfhoistedinto osition by a crane or the like and placed si eby side to form a floor, asillustrated in Figure 1.

The floor constructed as described above may be supported upon girders also constructed from blocksarranged in serles. In

the} drawings, I have shown a girder 11 con- "structed of four courses of blocks so that the girder has a section composed of four blocks, but it will be obvious that the girder may have a section'composed of one block orally number of blocks, depending upon the load to be supported. Each course of the girder 11 consists of blocks arranged end to end in series and tied together by reinforcing rods" 8 extending longitudinally therethrough, these rods being embedded in grouting, as. in the floor construction.

WVhcre the section of the girder is composed of a plurality of blocks, these blocks will preferably be tied together at the joints by reinforcing frames 12 positioned in the groovesfl, theend faces of the blocks being chipped out at 13 to accommodate such frames; Then the grouting is poured through chipped out openings 14 to till the the reinforcing frames 12. Then this grouting has set, the entire girder construction will be united into a monolithic structure.

In Figures 2 and 3 I have illustrated a convenient method of tying the floor strucbending the projecting ends .of the rods so as to engage each other. Vertical tie rods '14 are positioned between .the end 'faces of the blocks in the girder and have their lower ends bent at an angle and projected into certain oi the longitudinal passages in the girder. These vertical tie rods have their upper ends bent at an angleand projected into certain of the longitudinal passages in the floor members .10. The space between adjacent ends o'tzthetwo series-of floor members is filled with grouting 15 which embeds the connected projecting endsof the tie rods 8 and also embeds the upper portions of the vertical tie rods 14, the lower portions of these tie rods being embedded in the groutingwhich fills the grooves in the meeting'ond faces of the blocks of the girder. It will be seen that this method of construction enables the floor to be effectively tied to the girder.

In Figure 1' there is also shown a column 16 supporting the girder. This column may be built up of any desired number of vertical series of blocks, the blocks of each vertical series being tied together by tie rods 17 in the same manner as the blocks of the girder. Moreover, reinforcing frames 18 corresponding to the reinforcing frames 12 may beplaoed in the grooves inthe end faces of the blocks at the joints of the column, in

' order to tie the series of blocks together.

It will be seen by reference to Figure "1, that certain of the tie rods 17 of the column extend between the meeting end faces of certain of the blocks of the girder and also through the space between the two series of floor members.

The advantages of the present invention will be manifest from the foregoing description. It will be seen that I have provided a system of construction whereby the main supporting elements in the interior of a building may be constructed substantially entirely out of blocks of the same form and dimensions, without the requirement of any field concrete Work and the expensive forms which are necessary for such work. The blocks may be made of a weightconvenient to be handled by a workman-and supporting members of any desired strength may be provided by composing the section of such supporting members of any desired number of blocks. 'By the provision of a system of this character enabling floors, girders and columns to be constructed from blocks of uniform size and dimensions, the problem of manufacture of the blocks at the central plant vis greatly simplified, as is also the problem 0 construction. Moreover,my improved me'thodof construction reduces to a minimum the amount of skilled labor required;

While my invention is particularly concerned with blocks formed of concrete, I do .notwieh Eto limit myself. to the use of this anateriahasthe blocksumay be made out of other. suitable materials if desired.

I claim:

1.111 :building construction, the combination of a girder andia 'floorsupported thereby, said girder comprising blocks arranged end to end in series and tied together by reinforcing :means extending longitudinally therethrough, :and tie rods for tying :floor members tosaid girder, each tie'rod having lts ends bent at an angle to the body thereof and extending into a passage of the girder and *a-fioor member respectively, substantially as described.

2. In building construction, a girder, a plurality of floor 'members eixtending atright angles to said girder and. resting-at one end thereon, sald girder comprising concrete blocks placed end to end in series and tied together by reinforcing means extending longitudinally therethrough, and said jfioor members being arranged side by side and each comprising concrete blocks placed end to end in series and tied together by reinforcing means extending longitudinally -:therethrough, and separate moans for tying floor members-to said ginder, :each of mi means extending vertically between meeting end faces of certain of the blocks of said girder and interlockirug with; said girder and project "above the some and interlocking with its oor member, substantially as described. a

3. In building construction, a column, a glldel' su ported by saidioolummonda floor by said girder, said column and said girder each comprising blocksnrranged end to end in series and tied: mgether by reinforcing means extending longitudinally :therethrough, andsaid floor consisting of a plurality of members placed side by side and each eonsisting of blocks arranged and to end in series and tied together by reinforcing means extending longitudinally therethrough, and reinforcing means tying floor members to said girders, substantially as described;

4. In building construction, thecombination of a girder and a floor supported thereby, said girder 'comprisin "end to end in series d reinforcing means extend longitudinally therethrough, and said fioo a blocks arranged an together "by i'ng'foomed of a plurality of members placed side by side, each of said members consisting of blocks arranged end to end in series and tied to-V reinforclng means extendlng 1011- substantially all of the blocks in said girderand floor being ofvthe sameform'and dimensions, substantially asdescrlbed.

5. In buildm constructlon, a column, a

girder supporte by said column, and afloor supported by said girder, said column and said girder each comprising blocks arranged end to end in series and tied together by reinforcing means extending longitudinally therethrough, and said floor consistin of a plurality of members placed side by si e and each consisting of blocks arranged end to end in series and tied together by reinforcing means extending longitudinally therethrough, and reinforcing means tying floor members to said girder, substantially all of the blocks in said column, girder and floor being of the same form and dimensions, substantially as described. i

6. In building construction, the combinationvof a irder and a floor supported thereby, said oor being formed of two series of aligned members supported at one end upon the girder so as to leave a space between the adjacent ends of thetwo series, each of said members consisting of blocks arranged end to end in series and tied together by reinforcing rods extendin longltudinally therethrough, the reinforcing rods of the two series projecting into said space between the adjacent ends of the two series and havin the projecting ends of the rods of one series bent'into interlocking engagement with the projecting endsof the rods of the other series, and grouting filling said space and embeddin the connected ends of saidrods, snbstantia ly as described.

7. In building construction, the combination of a irder and a floor su ported thereby, said oor being formed 0 two series of aligned members supported at one end upon the girder so as to leave a space between the adjacent ends of the two series, each of said members consisting of blocks arranged end to end in series and tied together by reinforcing rods extending longitudinally therethrough, the reinforcing rods of the two series projecting into said space between the adjacent ends of the two series and having the projecting ends of the rods of oneseries bent into interlocking engagement with the projecting ends of the rods of the other series, and vertical tie rods positioned between the end faces of certain of the blocks of the girder and projecting into said space and tying the floor members to said girder, and.

grouting filling said spaceand embedding the connected ends of said reinforcin rods and said vertical tie rods, substantia 1y as described. 7

ALBERT HENDERSON,- 

